Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Mali instead of United States, you would:

be 76.2% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Mali, that number is 8.6% of people.

live 19.7 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Mali, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women).

Economy

make 96.3% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Mali, the GDP per capita is $2,200.

be 84.1% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Mali, that number is 8.1%.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Mali, however, that number is 36.1%.

Life

have 3.5 times more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Mali, there are 43.9 babies per 1,000 people.

be 41.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Mali, 587.0 women do.

be 12.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Mali, on the other hand, 69.5 children do.

Basic Needs

be 74.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, 100% of the population has electricity access. In Mali, 26% of the population do.

be 85.4% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access. In Mali, about 11.1% do.

be 22.4% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In United States, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas). In Mali, that number is 77% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas).

Expenditures

spend 24.0% less on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Mali spends 3.8% of total GDP on education.

spend 59.6% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Mali, that number is 6.9% of GDP.

Learn more about Mali

Mali is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 1,220,190 sq km. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in 2007 elections that were widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias started a rebellion in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the three northern regions of the country and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food insecurity in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president in the second round.

How big is Mali compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.